RUSSELL

15 Winston Way Redwood City, California 94061

This 12-36 HP Russell steam traction engine is No. 12857 of
17,156 machines built in Massillon, Ohio, from 1842-1927. No.
12857, built June 6, 1906, was originally sold through the Russell
dealer in Portland, Oregon, and spent its working life operating a
threshing machine in the area around Junction City, Oregon. In the
1970s, No. 12857 appeared annually at Scandinavian Days in Junction
City, operating a flour mill. Dr. Charles Whitcher of Standford
purchased No. 12857 in the late 1980s from Robert Smith of Eugene,
Oregon. Robert’s father, Willis Smith, had operated the tractor
during its working life, in the 1920s. We purchased the tractor
from Dr. Whitcher in 1993.

The tractor was in relatively good shape for its age when we
purchased it, but we have put several hundred hours into the
restoration. I disassembled and cleaned parts, making new ones
where necessary. My wife Margret did almost all of the painting at
one time we had almost 300 individual parts at home, each getting
cleaned followed by one coat of primer and two coats of finish
paint.

We are indebted to the following people for their help in
restoring #12857:

Erwin Brandt, Hay-ward manufactured a new piston for crosshead
pump;

Karl Christoffersen, Rohnert Park did detail painting;